Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-01-19
4 TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
A Ship Blown Up BY 100, 900 Pounds
OF POwder-Death Of Gen. Hazen
Situation in Germany.
ATERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
The Cliff House, Near San Francisco
Blown Out-Otller Damage Done.

The CLIFF House, Near San Francisco
Blown Out-Other Damage Done.
SAN FRANCISCO, January 16.-At mic
night last night the Merchants Exchang
received telephone message from Poin
Lobos Signal Station that the seheene
Parallel had been driven on the rocks nea
the Golden Gate and probably will prov
a total loss. An hour later another mes
sage was received that an immense quan
tity OF giant powder aboard had blown up
destroying the Cliff House and other build
ings on shore in the neighborhood. Repor
ters and police officers were hurriedly des
patched to the scene OF disaster and tn
following particulars were obtained: Tn
Parallel sailed Friday last with cargo y
general merchandise for Astoria, Oregon
She proceeded north until compelled by
strong head winds to return. She reached
the entrance to Golden Gate yesterday
evening. The wind had died out and being
caught by strong tide
THE VESSEL WAS SWEPT ASHORE
at the south end of Point Lobos
inside the famous Seal rocks. opposite
the Cliff House. The Life Saving station
people near by were promptly notified and
captain and all hands aboard had taken to
the boats. As it was impossible for them
to make a landing on the heavy surf rum
ming, they stood away for :he entrance to
the harbor. After being abandoned the
vessel drifted south into a cave where she
pounded against the rocks and was rapidly
brea king up. 1t was known that she had q
large quantity Of powder aboard, but no
danger was apprehended. The men from
the life saving station seeing nothing could
he done. and knowing the schooner had
been abandoned by the officers and crew
withdrew at few minutes before O'Clock
from the scene. They had badly reached
the station when
FEARFUL EXPLOSION OCCURRED,
scattering destruction on all sides. The
schooner in beating against the rocks had
caused tho powder to ignite, and the entire
quantity aboard, nearly iS5, 900 pounds,
had exploded. To those living in the neigh.
borhood the effect was frightful. The sig.
nal station. was completely demolished.
The life saving station was also wrecked,
and the west side OF the Cliff House, not
withstanding it's elevation was blown out
and every pane in the building broken.
The large concert room on the beach and
other buildings lower down had all their
windows broken, and otherwise more or
less damaged. The long carriage shed ad.
joining the cliff house was tumbled
INTO A MASS OF RUINS.
Adolph Sutro's conservatory on the |
heights above was shattered to atoms, and |
all the windows in the house broken. Three |
members OF the liie saving crew, who built |
n fire on the beach and decided to remain |
near the wreck, Il
WE'RE HURLED IN THE AIR
by the concussion, and severely injured in
l,pir in, dor hn1 fc +hno or%h
manning members of the crew, who had re-
turned to the station, rushed to the rescue
of the injured, as it was feared their close
proximity to the explosion must have re-
suited to their injury. They carried them
to the station, where medical attention was
sun ,ed, and everything necessary to- re.
lieN = injuries was done. One OF them,
He NTH, had his
-..-, SO FRIGHrFULLY DIsJolNTED
as to make his suffering intense. For a
time his life was disposed OF. The two
escaped less seriously injured. Capt. Hays
lop, in command Of the life saving station,
describes the explosion as follows:
AT one o'clock sIeepers were thrown
from their beds by the great explosion
which upheaved the cliff like tidal wave
swept up from the Pacific. A great wave
dashed mp and vaulted over the Chiff
House building. The whole shore and cliff .
LITERALLY TREMBLED AND SHOOK |,
as no earthquake has shaken the earth for
years. The people were rudely thrown {
from their beds by the force OF the explo- I
sion and furniture and bedsteads were I
tossed and heaped about the room.
The famous Cliff House presents a scene
beggaring description. The west side of the e
building overlooking the ocean was com. t
pletely ruined and' only held together by (
cross beams. Windows were smashed and 6
doors twisted off their hinges and left in i
such a shattered condition that the build ,
ing will have to be taken down, what is
left OF it, even il it does not topple over ]
into the ocean. &
As nothirg has been seen or heard of the r
captain and crew OF the schooner up to t
daylight, fears were entertained OF their n
safety. These, however, were dissipated q
on their arrival this morning on ferry t
boat from Saucelito. On taking to the
small boat the tide was so strong that I
they were carried to Saucelito before they
could make a landing. The captain could T
not be seen, but Peter Hauser, one Of the t
seamen, made the following statement: q
When the captain realized the danger of \
his position he cast anchor, but it
would not hold. As soon as the schooner '
struck, and knowing the dangerous charac-
TER nf the vessels it was impossible to
make landing through the surf the cap d
tain ordered the boat headed for the {
Golden Gate, and the tide carried them to t
Saucelito. The powder was shipped by il
Nelson & Co, of this city, and
was intended for railroad construction pur.
poses. The vessel was literally obliterated,
but few pieces OF floating wreckages being
all that can be seen. 1t was valued at '
81 900, and owned by s. B. Peterson, Of
this city, and insured for $500.
THE EXPLOSION WAS TERRIFIC.
and occurring SO close to seal rock !,
it was supposed an immense num-
Der of seals would be killed v
by the concuss;on. Such proves not a
to be the case. Two dead ones only have "
been seen. Rumor is current that the ex. n
poson was caused by an Internal machine :,
aboard, but all the facts are contrary to 81
such suppositioD. The explosion was 81
distinctly heard at Oakland and San 81
lose; even as far as Sacramento, a distance 81
Of over one hundred miles. Captain Jor. v
Ian, OF the ship Commodore, which arrived .,
to-day from Point Discovery, says he felt 81
the shock fifteen miles out at sea. The in (,
ured live-sav wing man is progressing favor. &
ably and will probably recover. A